Having a hard time on the Oklahoma-Bama game, so likely will be pretty small for me.
Somewhere between small and medium plays:
Memphis +4 (-115) Brendon Lewis is a true gamer and he just seems to will his team to win or at least compete closely. Even with a gimpy ankle, he kept his team close in their last 3 losses....all to good opponents. And then there are wins vs. USF and Arkansas. His ankle is likely healed or close to it. Memphis plays without their head coach and a couple of other coaches, but I've noticed that in the past few years, many teams do well anyways. NC State loses their top RB to the portal, and there is talk of CJ Bailey leaving after the bowl game. NC State's head coach, Dave Doeren, has a miserable record aas a bowl coach. I also get the sense that NC State boosters would like him to go- maybe players too? And I doubt NC State sees this bowl in Tampa as much to feel good about. Their D is pretty bad too. Memphis gets to erase some of their disappointment by beating a P4 team.
WMU -3 (-120) WMU has the formula for a winning bowl team- good in the trenches and a great run game. Both the MAC and Conference uSA are pretty bad conferences, but the top few of the MAC seem better than teams like Kennewick State. Kennewick State won so many close games that I wonder if they are overdue for a stinker. WMU has the better defense and I don't think it's close. WMU's head coach, Lance Taylor, was not poached and signed an extension so that might motivate his boys a bit. Hoping their young QB Broc Lowry uses the extra practice to refine his passes. He's young and talented and a great running QB.
Somewhere between small and medium plays:
Memphis +4 (-115) Brendon Lewis is a true gamer and he just seems to will his team to win or at least compete closely. Even with a gimpy ankle, he kept his team close in their last 3 losses....all to good opponents. And then there are wins vs. USF and Arkansas. His ankle is likely healed or close to it. Memphis plays without their head coach and a couple of other coaches, but I've noticed that in the past few years, many teams do well anyways. NC State loses their top RB to the portal, and there is talk of CJ Bailey leaving after the bowl game. NC State's head coach, Dave Doeren, has a miserable record aas a bowl coach. I also get the sense that NC State boosters would like him to go- maybe players too? And I doubt NC State sees this bowl in Tampa as much to feel good about. Their D is pretty bad too. Memphis gets to erase some of their disappointment by beating a P4 team.
WMU -3 (-120) WMU has the formula for a winning bowl team- good in the trenches and a great run game. Both the MAC and Conference uSA are pretty bad conferences, but the top few of the MAC seem better than teams like Kennewick State. Kennewick State won so many close games that I wonder if they are overdue for a stinker. WMU has the better defense and I don't think it's close. WMU's head coach, Lance Taylor, was not poached and signed an extension so that might motivate his boys a bit. Hoping their young QB Broc Lowry uses the extra practice to refine his passes. He's young and talented and a great running QB.
